Clean Eating with Plant-Based Meals

Brittany Carter is a walking advertisement for her business. The newly minted business owner opened her space in the Market Place Food Court just a few months prior to the worldwide lockdown caused by the global pandemic. Plant-Based Meals was set to take its place with the other entrepreneurs in the Market Place after having had a YouTube presence for years.
Carter’s story is compelling and is one that is certainly a true testament to one young woman’s passion for what she does. Carter is a native of Chester, raised in the neighboring borough of Eddystone; she now has her roots solidly located in the city of Chester. She’s a resident and a business owner in the City of her birth.
Carter’s journey began in 2013 when she decided to delete meat from her diet. It was then that she started exploring her culinary options. Experimenting with plant-based recipes to satisfy her own palette left her yearning to share what she found with family, friends, and others. It was when she created her YouTube channel that word started to get around about her plant-based meals. Income was slow from the social media platform; but, it was helpful in getting the word out.
The other thing that helped propel her business was her pop-up kitchens which she would advertise on social media platforms. At the events, people showed up in droves, and her pop-ups quickly sold out. Carter watched as her story started to unfold.
Prior to Plant-Based Meals evolving into a full-time career, Carter had a very lucrative position as a Credit Bureau Dispute Analyst for Discover. It was a position that provided her with a more than adequate salary and standard of living. Carter didn’t give it a second thought when she decided to move on. She recalled tendering her resignation with Discover as soon as she realized that her love of clean eating had become her passion. “Plant-based eating…creating the menus for the pop-up kitchens was never ever a side hustle. It was more a love that morphed into my passion, which culminated in the business here today,” states Carter. It’s customary to give two weeks’ notice when leaving any position; however, she left the very day she tendered her resignation. Carter made the case to her superiors about her passion calling her and that she couldn’t wait another day to answer the call. She resigned that day with the blessing of her boss and with an open invitation to return at any time should she wish. After praying about her decision she decided just to take the plunge, as the fear wasn’t big enough to deter her dreams. Even though the safety net of a great salary and benefits were no longer there, she had no regrets.
As a first-generation entrepreneur, the fear comes and goes; other times she remains extremely confident in her journey. Carter admits, “I’m human and therefore not infallible.” She’s also a new parent of baby, Naijee, Jr., whom she parents with her life partner, Naijee, Sr. She describes her life partner as 110% supportive, as he’s also an entrepreneur. Another source of support for Carter has been her fellow vendors in the food court. “Each vendor, tough selling their own signature products, are more than willing to lend a helping hand to another vendor. It’s this spirit of comradery that I’ve come to appreciate and rely on,” says Carter.
Business has been steady and appears to be getting better. Chester is a community that has few eating establishments offering healthy food options, and Carter saw an opportunity to fill that void. She has become part of the solution as opposed to being part of the problem. “When you step into uncharted waters, you’re always a little nervous,” says Carter. “I just want to keep moving forward,” she states. Carter endeavors to be a role model for young people…an inspiration, not necessarily popular. Though she can’t predict what the future holds, she would like to leave a legacy of love and entrepreneurship for her son. She sees herself with multiple brick-and-mortar locations in the next 5 to 10 years.
If you’re looking for healthy food and juice options, check out Plant-Based Meals, located in the Food Court at the Market Place, 2300 West 4th Street, Chester, PA., 19013. Phone: 1-484-615-2240. You can also reach Ms. Carter on the web www.bforealjuiced.com, Instagram @bforealjuiced, on FB @ B Foreal Juiced, or just drop in and try her Loaded Nachos…a real treat. The cold-pressed juices, fresh lemonades, and wellness shots are also a delight. The shop is open Thursday – Saturday, 10 am – 4 pm, Sunday, 12 pm – 4 pm.